Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Nature of Operations, Business Activities and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

v3.7.0.1
Nature of Operations, Business Activities and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations, Business Activities and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1. Nature of Operations, Business Activities and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

 

Nemus Bioscience, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that plans to develop and commercialize therapeutics from cannabinoids through a partnership with the University of Mississippi. The University of Mississippi ("UM") is federally permitted and licensed to cultivate cannabis for research purposes. Unless otherwise specified, references in these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements to the "Company," "we" or "our" refer to Nemus Bioscience, Inc., a Nevada corporation formerly known as Load Guard Logistics, Inc. ("LGL"), together with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nemus, a California corporation ("Nemus"). Nemus became the wholly owned subsidiary of Nemus Bioscience, Inc. through the Merger (as defined below).

 

Nemus Bioscience, Inc. (formerly LGL) was incorporated in Nevada on March 16, 2011. Nemus was incorporated in California on July 17, 2012. Our headquarters are located in Costa Mesa, California.

 

As of December 31, 2016, the Company has devoted substantially all of its efforts to securing product licenses, raising capital, and building infrastructure, and has not realized revenue from its planned principal operations.

 

Business Activities

 

On October 31, 2014, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated October 17, 2014 (the "Merger Agreement"), LGL, Nemus Acquisition Corp. ("Acquisition Sub"), Nemus Bioscience, Inc. ("Name Change Merger Sub"), and Nemus Acquisition Sub merged with and into Nemus and Nemus survived as a wholly-owned subsidiary of LGL (the "Merger"). Immediately after the Merger, LGL changed its name to "Nemus Bioscience, Inc." by merging with Name Change Merger Sub. At the closing of the Merger and pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Nemus issued an aggregate of 3,120,000 shares of its common stock to the former stockholders of LGL in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of LGL's capital stock, which when combined with the 12,880,000 shares of Nemus common stock outstanding, amounted to 16,000,000 total shares outstanding upon completion of the merger.

 

The Merger has been accounted for as a reverse-merger and recapitalization. Nemus was the acquirer for financial reporting purposes and LGL was the acquired company. Consequently, the assets and liabilities and the operations reflected in the historical consolidated financial statements prior to the Merger were those of Nemus and have been recorded at the historical cost basis of Nemus, and the consolidated financial statements after completion of the Merger included the assets and liabilities of LGL and Nemus, the historical operations of Nemus and the operations of the Nemus from and after the closing date of the Merger.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The most significant accounting estimates inherent in the preparation of our financial statements include estimates as to the appropriate carrying value of certain assets and liabilities which are not readily apparent from other sources. Such estimates and judgments are utilized for stock-based compensation expense and equity securities with embedded features as discussed below.

 

Liquidity and Going Concern

 

The Company has incurred operating losses and negative cash flows from operations since our inception. As of December 31, 2016, we had cash and cash equivalents of $64,820. In January 2017, we raised an additional gross proceeds of $1,200,000 (see note 8) to be utilized to fund operations. The Company anticipates that it will continue to incur net losses into the foreseeable future as it continues to advance and develop a number of potential drug candidates into preclinical development activities and expands its corporate infrastructure which includes the costs associated with being a public company. Without additional funding, management believes that the Company will not have sufficient funds to meet its obligations within one year after the date the consolidated financial statements are issued. These conditions give rise to substantial doubt as to the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

   

The Company plans to continue to fund its operations and capital funding needs through public or private equity or debt financings, strategic collaborations, licensing arrangements, asset sales, government grants or other arrangements. However, the Company cannot be sure that such additional funds will be available on reasonable terms, or at all. If the Company raises additional funds by issuing equity securities, substantial dilution to existing stockholders would result. If the Company is unable to secure adequate additional funding, the Company may be forced to make a reduction in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible, and/or suspend or curtail planned programs.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying value of those investments approximates their fair market value due to their short maturity and liquidity. Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and amounts on deposit with financial institutions, which amounts may at times exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses on such accounts and does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk.

 

Restricted Cash

 

A deposit of $37,500 as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 was restricted from withdrawal and held by a bank in the form of a certificate of deposit. This certificate serves as collateral for payment of the Company's credit cards.

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under U.S. GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. A fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable, is used to measure fair value:

 

 

Level 1:

Valuations for assets and liabilities traded in active markets from readily available pricing sources such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2:

Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices) such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

 

Level 3:

Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques.

 

The carrying values of our financial instruments, including, cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate their fair value due to the short maturities of these financial instruments. The Series B warrant liability and the conversion liability for the Series B Preferred Stock were valued utilizing Level 3 inputs primarily from a third party independent appraisal conducted as of December 31, 2016.

 

Property and Equipment, Net

 

As of December 31, 2016, property and equipment, net, was $9,584, consisting primarily of computers and equipment. The Company had $13,383 of property and equipment, net, as of December 31, 2015. Expenditures for additions, renewals and improvements will be capitalized at cost. Depreciation will generally be computed on a straight-line method based on the estimated useful life of the related assets currently ranging from two to three years. Maintenance and repairs that do not extend the life of assets are charged to expense when incurred. When properties are disposed of, the related costs and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is reported in the period the transaction takes place.

 

Property and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount exceeds its estimated future undiscounted cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair value of the asset.

 

The costs incurred for the rights to use licensed technologies in the research and development process, including licensing fees and milestone payments, will be charged to research and development expense as incurred in situations where the Company has not identified an alternative future use for the acquired rights, and are capitalized in situations where there is an identified alternative future use. No cost associated with the use of licensed technologies has been capitalized to date.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company accounts for our deferred income tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and net operating loss carry forwards (the "NOLs") and other tax credit carry forwards. These items are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the period that includes the enactment date. Any interest or penalties would be recorded in the Company's statement of operations in the period incurred.

 

The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce the deferred income tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. In making such determinations, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial operations. As a result, there are no income tax benefits reflected in the statement of operations to offset pre-tax losses.

 

The Company recognizes a tax benefit from uncertain tax positions when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position.

 

Convertible Instruments

 

We account for hybrid contracts that feature conversion options in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging Activities (“ASC 815”) requires companies to bifurcate conversion options from their host instruments and account for them as free standing derivative financial instruments according to certain criteria. The criteria includes circumstances in which (a) the economic characteristics and risks of the embedded derivative instrument are not clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract, (b) the hybrid instrument that embodies both the embedded derivative instrument and the host contract is not re-measured at fair value under otherwise applicable generally accepted accounting principles with changes in fair value reported in earnings as they occur and (c) a separate instrument with the same terms as the embedded derivative instrument would be considered a derivative instrument.

 

Conversion options that contain variable settlement features such as provisions to adjust the conversion price upon subsequent issuances of equity or equity linked securities at exercise prices more favorable than that featured in the hybrid contract generally result in their bifurcation from the host instrument.

 

We account for convertible instruments when we have determined that the embedded conversion options should not be bifurcated from their host instruments, in accordance with ASC 470-20, Debt with Conversion and Other Options (“ASC 470-20”). Under ASC 470-20, we record, when necessary, discounts to convertible notes for the intrinsic value of conversion options embedded in debt instruments based upon the differences between the fair value of the underlying common stock at the commitment date of the note transaction and the effective conversion price embedded in the note. We account for convertible instruments (when we have determined that the embedded conversion options should be bifurcated from their host instruments) in accordance with ASC 815. Under ASC 815, a portion of the proceeds received upon the issuance of the hybrid contract is allocated to the fair value of the derivative. The derivative is subsequently marked to market at each reporting date based on current fair value, with the changes in fair value reported in results of operations.

 

We also follow ASC 480-10, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480-10”) in its evaluation of the accounting for a hybrid instrument. A financial instrument that embodies an unconditional obligation, or a financial instrument other than an outstanding share that embodies a conditional obligation, that the issuer must or may settle by issuing a variable number of its equity shares shall be classified as a liability (or an asset in some circumstances) if, at inception, the monetary value of the obligation is based solely or predominantly on any one of the following: (a) a fixed monetary amount known at inception (for example, a payable settled with a variable number of the issuer’s equity shares); (b) variations in something other than the fair value of the issuer’s equity shares (for example, a financial instrument indexed to the Standard and Poor's S&P 500 Index and settled with a variable number of the issuer’s equity shares); or (c) variations inversely related to changes in the fair value of the issuer’s equity shares (for example, a written put option that could be net share settled). Hybrid instruments meeting these criteria are not further evaluated for any embedded derivatives, and are carried as a liability at fair value at each balance sheet date with a re-measurement reported in interest expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

Warrants Issued in Connection with Financings

 

We generally account for warrants issued in connection with debt and equity financings as a component of equity, unless the warrants include a conditional obligation to issue a variable number of shares or there is a deemed possibility that we may need to settle the warrants in cash. For warrants issued with a conditional obligation to issue a variable number of shares or the deemed possibility of a cash settlement, we record the fair value of the warrants as a liability at each balance sheet date and record changes in fair value in other income (expense) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company has not begun planned principal operations and has not generated any revenue since inception.

 

Research and Development Expenses

 

Research and development ("R&D") costs are expensed when incurred. These costs may consist of external research and development expenses incurred under agreements with third-party contract research organizations and investigative sites, third-party manufacturing organizations and consultants; license fees; employee-related expenses, which include salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation for the personnel involved in our preclinical and clinical drug development activities; and facilities expense, depreciation and other allocated expenses; and equipment and laboratory supplies.

 

Stock-Based Compensation Expenses

 

Stock-based compensation cost is estimated at the grant date based on the fair value of the award, and the cost is recognized as expense ratably over the vesting period. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model for estimating the grant date fair value of stock options and warrants using the following assumptions:

 

 

·

Exercise price - We determined the exercise price based on valuations using the best information available to management at the time of the valuations.

 

·

Volatility - We estimate the stock price volatility based on industry peers who are also in the early development stage given the limited market data available in the public arena.

 

·

Expected term - The expected term is based on a simplified method which defines the life as the weighted average of the contractual term of the options and warrants and the weighted-average vesting period for all open awards.

 

·

Risk-free rate - The risk-free interest rate for the expected term of the option or warrant is based on the average market rate on U.S. treasury securities in effect during the period in which the awards were granted.

 

·

Dividends - The dividend yield assumption is based on our history and expectation of paying no dividends.

 

 

Stock-Based Compensation for Non-Employees

 

The Company accounts for warrants and options issued to non-employees under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) No. 505-50, Equity - Equity Based Payments to Non-Employees, using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The value of such non-employee awards is periodically re-measured over the vesting terms and at each quarter end.

 

Segment Information

 

FASB ASC No. 280, Segment Reporting, establishes standards for reporting information about reportable segments. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group ("CODM"), in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The CODM evaluates revenues and gross profits based on product lines and routes to market. Based on the early development stage of our operation, we operate in a single reportable segment.

 

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. The Company is required to record all components of comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated financial statements in the period in which they are recognized. Net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss), net of their related tax effect, arrived at a comprehensive income (loss). For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the comprehensive income (loss) was equal to the net income (loss).

 

Earnings per share

 

The Company applies FASB ASC No. 260, Earnings per Share. Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing earnings (loss) available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding. Diluted earnings or loss per share would include the dilutive effect of outstanding warrants and awards granted to employees under stock-based compensation plans. Potentially dilutive shares of the Company's common stock are excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per common share because their effect would be anti-dilutive for the periods presented. For the year ended December 31, 2016, 4,031 shares of Series B Preferred Stock convertible into 16,124,000 common shares at $0.25 per share, 386 shares of Series C Preferred Stock convertible into 1,544,000 common shares at $0.25 per share, warrants to purchase 11,044,500 common shares and stock options exercisable for 1,142,500 common shares outstanding at the end of the period are excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per common share. For the year ended December 31, 2015, 4,500 shares of Series B Preferred Stock convertible into 5,625,000 common shares at $0.80 per share, warrants to purchase 10,879,500 common shares and stock options exercisable for 1,180,000 common shares outstanding at the end of the period are excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per common share.

 

Recent accounting pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-9, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, requiring an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The updated standard will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective and permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. Adoption is permitted as early as the first quarter of 2017 and is required by the first quarter of 2018. Given that the Company has no revenues to date, we plan to adopt this pronouncement when initial revenue recognition occurs.

 

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU 2014-15”). The amendments in ASU 2014-15 will require management to assess, at each annual and interim reporting period, the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and, if management identifies conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued, to disclose in the notes to the entity’s financial statements the principal conditions or events that raised substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, management’s evaluation of their significance, and management’s plans that alleviated or are intended to alleviate substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. ASU 2014-15 is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016 and early application is permitted.   We adopted ASU 2014-15 for the annual period ending December 31, 2016.

   

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 Leases (Topic 842) intended to improve financial reporting around leasing transactions. The ASU affects all companies and other organizations that lease assets such as real estate, airplanes, and manufacturing equipment. The ASU will require organizations that lease assets - referred to as "lessees"- to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. For public companies, the standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods therein. Earlier adoption is permitted for any annual or interim period for which consolidated financial statements have not yet been issued. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact that the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02 may have on its consolidated financial statements. The Company will adopt this ASU beginning on January 1, 2019 and will utilize the modified retrospective transition approach, as prescribed within this ASU.

 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09 Improvement to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718). The ASU simplifies and improves the accounting and statement of cash flows presentation for income taxes at settlement, forfeiture and net settlement for withholding tax for all entities. For public companies, the ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted in any interim or annual period and we adopted this ASU in our year ending December 31, 2016 consolidated financial statements.